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VANS RV4

Soon after the single-seat RV-3 was introduced,
it became obvious that a lot of people wanted to share their RV with
a friend. Van realized that he wasn’t going to be able to talk them
into building two RV-3s. He set out to design a two-place airplane
that performed and handled as much like the RV-3 as possible. This
was not as easy as just "stretching the RV-3."

The RV-4 was an entirely new design. A poll of
prospective customers, taken in the early 1970s, showed a strong
preference for tandem seating. This suited Van as well, putting the
pilot on the centreline and keeping frontal area to a minimum. He
knew that a bigger, heavier airplane could never perform and handle
quite as well as a small, light one, but when the RV-4 first flew in
August, 1979, the results were better than he’d dared dream. The top
speed was only 10 mph less than the speedy RV-3, and the handling
qualities, so difficult to define, were virtually identical.

The RV-4 holds two people and their baggage. The
seating is compact, but still comfortable. It is flown from the
front seat only, but the kit includes a stick for the rear seater so
he or she can share the fun. It is designed for engines of 150-160
horsepower, although engines as small as 125 hp and as large as 180
are approved and commonly installed.

The all-around capabilities of the RV-4 are
impressive. It is capable of excellent "sport" aerobatics, and
several RV-4 pilots have successfully competed in organized
aerobatic competitions, scoring well against specialty aerobatic
airplanes.

Others have used their RV-4s for sport of a
different kind, flying regularly into backcountry strips for the
fishing and recreation. More than one SuperCub pilot has been
startled to land at a out of the way mountain strip and find an RV-4
already there.

The RV-4 is also an excellent cross-country
machine. Many couples routinely use the airplane as a long distance
"time machine." The ability to land at any small airport means they
can get where they really want to go, not just to the nearest
big-city airport. The RV-4 takes them to fly-ins, to reunions, to
vacations, and to visit the kids and grandkids. Distance is not a
problem. An RV-4 is capable of crossing half of North America in a
day.

Span

23 ft

Length

20 ft 4 in

Height

5 ft 5 in

Wing Area

110 sq ft

Weights

Empty Weight

905 - 913 lbs

Gross Weight

1500 lbs

Loadings

Wing Loading

13.64 lb/sq ft

Power Loading

10.0 - 8.33 lb/hp

Powerplant/Systems

Engine

150-180 hp

Propeller

Fixed or C/S

Fuel Capacity

32 US gal

Other

Baggage

50 lbs

Solo Weight 1160 lbs
Gross Weight 1500 lbs

150 hp

160 hp

180 hp

Empty weight and performance measured with fixed pitch wood
propeller

Speed -
Solo Weight

Top Speed

201 mph

205 mph

213 mph

Cruise [75% @ 8000 ft]

189 mph

193 mph

201 mph

Cruise [55% @ 8000 ft]

171 mph

174 mph

182 mph

Stall Speed

48 mph

48 mph

48 mph

Speed -
Gross Weight

Top Speed

200 mph

204 mph

212 mph

Cruise [75% @ 8000 ft]

188 mph

192 mph

200 mph

Cruise [55% @ 8000 ft]

170 mph

173 mph

180 mph

Stall Speed

54 mph

54 mph

54 mph

Ground
Performance - Solo Weight

Takeoff Distance

325 ft

300 ft

260 ft

Landing Distance

300 ft

300 ft

300 ft

Ground
Performance - Gross Weight

Takeoff Distance

475 ft

450 ft

400 ft

Landing Distance

425 ft

425 ft

425 ft

Climb/Ceiling - Solo Weight

Rate of Climb

1,850 fpm

2,050 fpm

2,450 fpm

Ceiling

21,700 ft

24,000 ft

28,600 ft

Climb/Ceiling - Gross Weight

Rate of Climb

1,500 fpm

1,650 fpm

1,950 fpm

Ceiling

18,000 ft

19,500 ft

23,000 ft

Range

Range [75% @ 8000 ft]

640 sm

640 sm

590 sm

Range [55% @ 8000 ft]

790 sm

790 sm

725 sm

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